Summer Intern Stories: Allergan
The AMCP Foundation/Allergan Specialized Summer Internship Program in Health Outcomes allows student pharmacists to explore career options in health outcomes and pharmacoeconomics.
Name: Wilson Haong
College of Pharmacy: Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Anticipated Graduation Date: 2020
Internship Site: Allergan
This past summer, I was very fortunate to participate in the AMCP Foundation/Allergan plc Specialized Summer Internship in Health Outcomes where I spent nine weeks working with the Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research (GHEOR) team at Allergan plc in Irvine, CA and one week at the AMCP headquarters in Alexandria, VA.
During my time at Allergan, I learned about many aspects of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) within a pharmaceutical company. Specifically, I was able to observe how members of the GHEOR and International HEOR teams collaborate with respect to planning and executing HEOR projects after attending a series of meetings that were organized during the second week of my internship.
Through numerous informational interviews with members throughout the Allergan, I was also able to learn about ongoing HEOR projects, gain exposure to other functional areas, and receive valuable insight on professional development and different career pathways. One of the most memorable aspects of my time at Allergan was the capstone project, which involved the analysis of a retrospective chart study to provide information for treating physicians on real-world CoolSculpting treatment patterns on males and females.
This internship culminated with a one-week rotation at AMCP/Foundation headquarters where I learned about various aspects of association management through attending staff meetings and informational interviews. Specifically, I learned about the AMCP’s efforts to support members and advance managed care pharmacy through the development of educational programs (e.g. AMCP Learn, webinars), the organization of professional conferences, and collaboration with external stakeholders. This rotation was particularly insightful because I gained a new appreciation for the substantial amount of work that is required in managing a professional organization.
Last but not least, a description of my experience in the AMCP Foundation/Allergan plc Specialized Summer Internship in Health Outcomes would not be complete without mentioning the names of the people who were so influential in shaping my growth during the summer. Specifically, I would like to thank Sarah Baradaran, Sara Higa, Vaishali Patel, and Patrick Gillard at Allergan plc; Brittany Henry at AMCP; and other members of Allergan plc and the AMCP Foundation who contributed to this wonderful internship experience. I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with you all this past summer!
Name: Ryan Thaliffdeen
School of Pharmacy: University of California – San Francisco
Anticipated Graduation Date: 2021
Internship Site: Allergan
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the AMCP Foundation/Allergan Plc Specialized Summer Internship in Health Outcomes. I have had a strong interest in health economics and outcomes research since my first year of pharmacy school. The interest stemmed from the AMCP P&T competition and I was excited to apply the pearls from that experience to this internship. My work at Allergan supported the General Medicine Team, specifically in the therapeutic areas of major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
My capstone project, which will be presented as a poster during AMCP Nexus, revolves around the costs of MDD, specifically in terms of episodes and lines of therapy. In addition to the capstone project, I was able to use R programming to determine baseline characteristics for hospitalized MDD patients, give input into feasibility for a network meta-analysis in schizophrenia, compare economic models in bipolar disorder, and much more!
My preceptors Sara Higa, Amy Tung, Patrick Gillard, Katelyn Keyloun, and Amanda Harrington did a phenomenal job of involving me in their day to day discussions, making me feel like I was truly part of the team. The last week of my internship was spent at AMCP HQ, where I was able to share my work with the AMCP Foundation team. I was also able to learn more about my working styles through the activities the Foundation had planned and identify strengths/weaknesses. I want to give a big thank you to Christine Cooper, Ebony Clay, Paula Eichenbrenner, and Susan Cantrell for their continued support of the AMCP Foundation internships. I also want to thank my virtual preceptor Matthew Harman for his payer perspective and educational resources.
